"The German Crocodile" by Ijoma Mangold
For our 12th international online book club meeting on November 23, we've invited author Ijoma Mangold to read his book
Das deutsche Krokodil (English translation:
The German Crocodile) with us.
THE BOOK:
In this compelling memoir of growing up different, Ijoma Mangold, today one of Germany's best literary critics, remembers his youth in 1970s Heidelberg and the new Federal Republic, and momentous visits in early adulthood to the USA and Nigeria. His own story is inextricably linked with that of his mother, a German from the eastern province of Silesia, forced to escape as a refugee in the expulsions from 1944, and to start afresh in utter poverty in West Germany. His Nigerian father came to Germany to train in paediatric surgery but returned before Ijoma was old enough to remember him. His reappearance on the scene forces a crash collision with an unknown culture, one he grew up suspicious of, and a new complex family history to come to terms with. Mangold explores many existential questions in this lively narrative.
THE AUTHOR:
Ijoma Mangold, born in Heidelberg in 1971, studied Literature and Philosophy in Munich and Bologna. After working for the "Berliner Zeitung" and the "Süddeutsche Zeitung," he moved to the weekly newspaper "Die Zeit" in 2009, where he was Head of Literature from 2013 to 2018. He is now the newspaper's Cultural-Political correspondent. Together with Amelie Fried, he hosted the ZDF program "Die Vorleser." He is also part of the quartet of critics for SWR television's "lesenswert" program. "Das deutsche Krokodil" was published in 2017. Mangold lives in Berlin.
WHO CAN TAKE PART?
Everyone who wants to read and discover German literature, meet authors and share their reading experience with others - even if you haven't read the book yet.
The book club will be held in German. All participants should have sufficient language skills to read and discuss in German. Register by clicking on the 'Register Here' link below:
REGISTER HERE
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS:
We will use Zoom for our meeting. We recommend using a headset, as speakers can create distracting echo effects. Participation is possible from PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device. To participate, simply follow the link we will send you after registration and sign in to the room.
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